Almost 10,000 cisgender women in the UK have rejected claims that trans-exclusive rhetoric is necessary to protect them from harm.

A petition created by women who are not trans rejected the notion that their transgender counterparts were a threat to their safety, and that those who promoted the idea “do not speak for us”.

Published on Monday (26 May) Not in Our Name has already attracted signatures from more than 9,600 cis women who support the message that all women should be “united by a shared truth” that “cisgender men who abuse their power are the real threat”.

The petition goes on to say: “Throughout our lives, we have endured harassment, discrimination, violence and abuse in countless forms: from childhood catcalls to workplaces discrimination, from domestic violence to sexual assault, from being silenced in boardrooms to be being blamed for crimes committed against us.

“We know intimately what the real threat to women looks like.”

A common argument among trans-exclusive groups is that trans women need to be excluded from single-sex spaces to ensure the safety of cis women. The watchdog Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is among the organisations looking to remove the rights of transgender people, particularly by denying them access to single-sex spaces, under the guise of protecting women.

Proposed changes to the EHRC’s code of practice for single-sex service providers recommended that trans people be forced to take their passport with them if they wanted to enter gendered facilities, with little evidence for how this would make cis people safer.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has also used the argument, culminating in a statement in April when he said he did not believe transgender women were real women.

NION cited data that shows the predominant threat to all women comes from cisgender men, including a 2023 Femicide Census which revealed that average of one woman is killed by men in the UK every three days.

“Enough scapegoating of trans women by politicians who refuse to confront male violence,” the petition demanded. “Enough media sensationalism that profits from hatred while women of all backgrounds suffer real harm. Enough false feminism that abandons the most-vulnerable women, leaving all women at greater risk.

“We will speak for ourselves. We stand with our trans siblings. We demand better.”

Signatories who chose to comment on the petition shared their outrage at the continued transphobic rhetoric of the government and public organisations.

Trish, from Surrey, said: “I truly don’t know what to say, I cannot believe this petition is even needed. Trans women are not a threat to anyone, they are among the most-marginalised in society and deserve to be loved and protected.”

Anna, from Derbyshire, wrote: “[I and] most cis women I know have experienced sexual harassment and abuse at the hands of cis men throughout our lives. Trans women are also vulnerable (some would argue more so) to the same abuse by cis men. They pose no threat.”

Data shared by NION showed that between 2008 and 2024, more than 5,000 trans people were reportedly murdered worldwide. In addition, 145,214 hate crimes were reported against trans people in 2022-2023 in the UK.

“This should horrify any society that claims to value human life,” the petition declared. “Trans people are denied healthcare, housing and employment. They are vilified for existing while cisgender women face our greatest threats from men who face no such scrutiny.

“The real threat to women has never been trans women seeking to live their lives with dignity. The real threat remains what it has always been: a culture that enables male violence and blames everyone except the men who perpetrate it.”

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